News

1/4 of a Million Won at Northampton! 30th March 2016

Beacon Northampton player Yvonne Verlander scooped up a smooth £252,500 on the National Bingo jackpot! Yvonne celebrated by playing another round of bingo which sounds an excellent way to round the night off! You can read more on this here, well done Yvonne!

Cricklewood hold the almighty Colossus once again! 29th November 2015

Beacon Bingo Cricklewood have done it again! After smashing the record books with colossus last year, they came back again this year and gave away a load more life changing cash prizes! There were winnings including £1,000, £2,000 & £10,000 houses all the way to the one and only colossal £100,000 last house which was won by a very happy guest! They gave away over £150,000 in one night and we think that's cause for celebration! Well done to all of the winners, players & the venue team for bringing it all together!

Tony Blackburn presents on JackpotFM! 23rd July 2015

Radio legend Tony Blackburn, who celebrated 50 years of broadcasting last year, visited Milton Keynes-based Cashino Gaming and Beacon Bingo yesterday to broadcast live on its customer radio station, Jackpot FM. He also prasied staff and customers for their efforts in helping to raise nearly £500,000 for CHIPS – a charity founded by the casino and gaming industry which provides specialised powered wheelchairs for young people with severe mobility problems.

Taking time out of his busy schedule Tony was live on air from 14:00 for two hours. Broadcasting across the 9 Beacon Bingo Clubs, 150 Cashino adult gaming centres and a number of seaside family entertainment centres he spoke about his career in radio and provided ‘shout outs’ to customers and staff regarded as top CHIPS fundraisers.
Cashino and Beacon Bingo have so far raised nearly £500,000 and presented over 81 custom built wheelchairs to children up and down the country since they began working with the CHIPS charity in 2005.

Commenting on the visit Tony Blackburn said; “Today has been great and I believe organisations which dedicate time to raising money for such deserving charities, such as CHIPS, should certainly receive recognition for their efforts and I hope my visit has helped to raise awareness of this fantastic accomplishment by Cashino and Beacon Bingo.”

Phil Gibbs, marketing manager for Cashino and Beacon Bingo said: “We’ve loved having a super star DJ along to broadcast on our radio station, Jackpot FM, as have our staff and customers who we are very grateful to for supporting CHIPS and this was another way of saying thank you. The money is going to such a good cause which does so much for disadvantaged children.”

Tony Blackburn came to fame broadcasting on the so called ‘pirate’ stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disk jockey to present a show on BBC Radio 1 when it launched in 1967! In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV show ‘I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here’, and currently presents the biggest chart show in the UK ‘Pick of the Pops’ on BBC Radio 2

Nearly £1/2 Million Paid out at Cricklewood! 4th July 2015

Identified in 2014 by The National Bingo Game Association (NBGA) as the third luckiest bingo club for players in the UK, Beacon Bingo in Cricklewood is living up to its accolade having recently paid out nearly half a million of prize money, with three customers scooping over £385, 000 between them in the last few weeks.

Cricklewood Beacon Bingo member Paul Esprit won the club prize of £250 and shared a national prize of £20,000 on Tuesday 30th June, 2015.

Steve Lightfoot, general manager of Beacon Bingo in Cricklewood said: “It is fantastic to pay out nearly half a million worth of prize money to our customers and most of it in just June. Cricklewood is renowned for being lucky for players but to give away such as large amount of money to customers, in such a short space of time, surpasses all of our expectations. I’m sure 2015 will continue to prove fruitful for our customers.”

With free membership and 50 chances to win every afternoon and evening, Beacon Bingo in Cricklewood also offer customers a Multi Jackpot Game, which gives them the opportunity to win additional prize money.

A Goal for Chips! 13th June 2015

Last weekend we had a charity football event for CHIPS! Several teams took part, made up of staff from our venues and our contractors - even Beaky got involved! A fantastic day out for all, and well done to all those who kept on playing despite the weather.
We dont have the total of the final amount raised but we know that it was over £16,000! Click here to see the photos from the day.

Eyes Down and Feet Forward at Brighton! 24th March 2015

A big congratulations to the peeps from Brighton! They completed a sponsored walk of 20 miles, raising nearly £1,500 for Chips charity! Pictured in the photo from left, Phillip Brown, Caroline Barnes, Rachel Ansell, Natasha Upton-Maher and Sophie Rabson (photo by Terry Applin).

Sharran has been a valued customer here Cricklewood Beacon Bingo for many years

and all the staff would like to wish her a very Happy Birthday!

Henry Gets a New Chair 28th January 2015

Henry Dunkley, a thirteen year old from Northampton, has received a new, state-of-the-art, powered wheelchair to help boost his mobility, thanks to the joint fundraising efforts of customers and staff at Beacon Bingo on Weedon Road, Northampton.

Henry, who lives with his parents, and his eleven year old twin brothers Archie and Bertie, suffers from global development delay and severe learning difficulties, which means he needs help with every aspect of daily life.

He currently has a manual wheelchair and is not eligible for a powered chair from Wheelchair Services as he is not considered able to operate it himself. However, as he grows older his family is having increasing difficulty in taking him around.

Beacon Bingo, along with sister company Cashino Adult Gaming Centres, is one of the main fundraisers for CHIPS, a charity set up on behalf of the casino and gaming industry, which aims to provide specialised powered wheelchairs for children with severe mobility problems.

The new state-of-the-art, powered chair, which has been specifically designed to meet Henry’s needs by including a tilt feature to alleviate pressure on his back and hips, was presented to him at Beacon Bingo on Weedon Road in Northampton yesterday (Tuesday 27th January) and will help make his life easier and more comfortable.

Henry’s mother, Suzanne, said: “This powered wheelchair will make such a difference to all of the family as it means that we can go for days out so much more easily. We are extremely grateful to everyone at Beacon Bingo and CHIPS Charity for making this happen.”

Rob Black, Beacon Bingo Northampton general manager, added: “Henry is a deserving young boy and we hope this chair will make his everyday life much more comfortable and will hopefully allow him to engage in more activities with his family and friends, like every teenager should be allowed to do. Every time we do these presentations it really shows that all of our fundraising efforts throughout our estate are 100% worth it.”

Co-founder of the CHIPS charity Linda Lindsay said: “It is so important for CHIPS that our donors see the results of their hard work and we try to ensure that all the recipients are local to where the funds have been raised. Beacon Bingo and Cashino have been amazing and have donated £110,000 in the last 12 months, allowing CHIPS to provide 17 powered wheelchairs up and down the country.”

To date CHIPS has raised over £1,000,000 and presented over 400 wheelchairs to children throughout the UK.

Beacon Cricklewood Gets Involved 9th January 2015

Beacon Cricklewood was invited by Barnet Council to the opening of the new playground in Kara Way, and helped out with refreshments and raffle prizes! The new park was opened by the Mayor and Mayoress of Barnet.

The Colossus at Cricklewood - where History was Made! 30th November 2014

What a night to remember! Successfully setting the record by becoming the first club in history to give away £100,000 in a single game of bingo, the night was celebrated with other customers also winning other big cash prizes of £10,000 and £1,000 - over £160,000 was given away!

Customers & Staff at Ilkeston Help Donate a Customised Wheelchair! 20th October 2014

Ella Kalis, a six year old youngster from Borrowash, has received a new customised, state-of-the-art powered wheelchair to help boost her mobility thanks to the customers and staff at the Ritz Beacon Bingo centre in Ilkeston.

Ella, who attends Ashbrook Infants in Borrowash, has cerebral palsy, a condition that has not only left her unable to walk, but unable to use a manual wheelchair due to a weakness in one of her hands.

The new specially customised electric wheelchair, which has been designed to accommodate Ella’s very special seating requirements, was presented to her at Ritz Bingo on South Street, Ilkeston last week [Friday 17th October] and will allow her to engage effectively in activities with her family and friends, giving her the independence that every young girl needs.

Beacon Bingo, which operates nine bingo centres across the country, is one of the main fundraisers for CHIPS, a charity founded on behalf of the casino and gaming industry to provide specialised powered wheelchairs for young people with severe mobility problems.

Commenting on the day, Ella’s mother Lucy said: “The power chair is going to make a world of difference to Ella and it will give her so much independence. We cannot thank Cashino and the CHIPS charity enough.”

Beacon Bingo area manager, Wanda Kidd, added: “It’s been a great experience to see how much joy this wheelchair has brought to Ella and her family – the chair will be a great help to her and will give her the independence that she needs. Seeing such positive results from our fundraising efforts proves that it is certainly worth it, and we hope that the chair will stand Ella in good stead for many years to come.”

Co-founder of the CHIPS charity Linda Lindsay said: “It is so important for CHIPS that our donors see the results of their hard work and we try to ensure that all the recipients are local to where the funds have been raised. Beacon Bingo has been amazing and, alongside its sister company Cashino, has helped donated £110,000 to the charity in the last 12 months, allowing CHIPS to provide 17 powered wheelchairs up and down the country.”

Praesepe Help Donate for CHIPS! 1st September 2014

A nine year old disabled girl from Denton in Manchester has been given a custom-made, state–of- the-art, powered wheelchair to help boost her mobility, thanks to fundraising by staff at the head office of Praesepe in Milton Keynes. Lucy Williams has cerebral palsy, a condition which has affected all four of her limbs, leaving her unable to stand or walk independently and always needing the support of an adult. Although she currently has a powered wheelchair it is restrictive as it does not allow her outdoor movement on difficult terrain, leaving Lucy unable to have the independence every young girl should have.

The new specially customised electric wheelchair, which has been designed to accommodate Lucy’s very special seating requirements, was presented to her at Praesepe head office on Seebeck Place, Milton Keynes, yesterday (Monday 1 September) and will allow her to engage effectively in activities with her family. Praesepe, which operates 155 Cashino adult gaming centres and 9 Beacon Bingo halls across the UK, is one of the main fundraisers for CHIPS, a charity set up on behalf of the casino and gaming industry which aims to provide specialised powered wheelchairs for children with severe mobility problems.

Lucie lives with her parents Kerry and Matt along with her two siblings Samuel and Briony. Commenting on the day, Lucie's mother Kerry said: "We are so grateful to everyone for Lucie's new chair, this will enable her to go out with her friends and have much more independence around school and in general life."

Nick Harding, Praesepe CEO, added: “It’s been a great experience to see how much joy this wheelchair has brought to Lucy and her family – the chair will be a great help to her and will give her the independence that she needs. Hopefully the chair will stand Lucy in good stead for many years to come. The fundraising effort from all of our staff and customers throughout our estate has been certainly well worth it.”

Co-founder of the CHIPS charity Linda Lindsay said: “It is so important for CHIPS that our donors see the results of their hard work. Praesepe have been exceptional in their fundraising efforts and have raised £100,000 in the last 12 months, which has helped CHIPS provide (how many) powered wheelchairs to children up and down the country, we can’t thank them enough.”

To date CHIPS has raised over £1,000,000 and presented over 400 wheelchairs to children up and down the country.

Margate go Country! 31st August 2014

Happy birthday Vera! 28th August 2014

Staff at Beacon Bingo on The Esplanade, Redcar helped one of their most loyal customers celebrate a very special milestone this week [Monday 25th August], as Vera Laird welcomed in her 90th birthday with family and friends at the venue she has played a remarkable 140,000 games in.

A sprightly Vera, who has lived in Redcar for 43 years, has an impressive bingo career, playing four times a week for over 35 years, prompting venue assistant manager Dot Wood to throw a well-deserved party in her honour.

Commenting on the night, Vera said: “It has been a wonderful evening and I am over the moon to have had my family and friends at Beacon Bingo with me to help celebrate.

“Bingo has changed so much over the years but one thing has stayed the same and that is the lovely people that I meet here every day. I have made friends for life with both the staff and the other customers and I cannot thank everyone here enough for making this day so memorable.”

And in light of Vera’s birthday, Beacon Redcar also offered customers special prizes when the top of the shop number was called as well as giving people a chance to win free games worth £90.00.

“As soon as we knew it was Vera’s 90th birthday we didn’t hesitate to get something planned for her. It was a great night and I know Vera enjoyed every bit of it. She received flowers, cards, and a handmade cake from our customers, it really was a special night for a special lady,” added Dot.

“The nature of the bingo means that people are able to come along for the social aspect as well as the game, and that’s why our customers are such good friends. It is so important that we celebrate people like Vera and it was great to see everyone there to help us do it.”

Cricklewood get Creative! 19th April 2014

Beacon Bingo were very proud to support local artist Kevin Vincenzo Keating who created this fantastic wishbone work of art!
There was lot's of fun with portrait drawings, make a wish balloon releases and a fashion show!!

SIlence is golden! 13th March 2014

Danielle (15), daughter of Beacon Bingo Margate General Manager Graeme Corner, was so impressed with the fundraising held at the club, unbeknown to Graeme, held a sponsored silence at school for 4 days! She raised £70.00 for CHiPS charity in the process! Well done Danielle.

Graeme said "If only she carried it on at home too!"

Margate has the X FACTOR! 9th December 2013

Charlotte Howard, Lydia Lucy and the Next of Kin visited Beacon Margate for their XFactor evening! Fantastic fun, to catch future upcoming events check the Margate club page today!

Julie raises Money for Macmillan18th October 2013

A big well done to Julie, the team and the customers at Beacon for raising so much money for MacMillan, via a coffee morning and all for a fantastic cause!

Julie also was nominated for, and won, the staff member of the month for her brilliant contribution to the club including hard work, long hours, amazing attitude and a stunning outlook towards customer service.

A Magical Evening with Paul Daniels! 2nd of March 2013

The Beacon Bingo Christmas Party Photos! 27th December 2012

Did you miss our Beacon Bingo Christmas Party at Northampton? Click the banner above to see some photos from what turned out to be a very fun filled night!

Beacon Bingo is a member of the Praesepe group. The Praesepe Group registered office is at Praesepe, Seebeck House, 1A Seebeck Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5 8FR. The service is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission. Beacon Bingo is fully committed to supporting Responsible Gambling. Underage gambling is an offence. Beacon Bingo ltd is a registered trademark of Praesepe PLC.